Cathie Wood.Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo Ark Invest's Cathie Wood and Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel both think we're already in a recession. "I think we're actually in a mild recession," Siegel told CNBC, saying the economy likely contracted in the first half of the year. Both also pointed to indications that inflation may be easing as well. Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood and Wharton School of Business professor Jeremy Siegel both agree that we're already in the middle of a recession.While recession warnings have been piling up in recent weeks, most of them have a timeline of one or two years in the future.